Boker Plus Strike Automatic Knife Review

The Boker name and logo can be dated back until the 17th century where it seems like the Boker tools were very successful on the markets; the tools were ranked among the leading manufactured goods in Germany and neighboring countries for hundreds of years.

Due to the rising demand in a politically restless era Hermann and Robert Boker decided to start with the production of sabers in 1829. Inventories of September 1830 had already proven a weekly production of 200 pieces made by 64 smiths, 47 grinders, and a large number of workers and trainees. With a permanently growing product line of tools and cutlery and the great opportunities of global sales, the family saw the need to distribute the tasks to make the best use of their interests. SO Hermann Boker emigrated to found Boker & Co. in New York, whereas the younger Robert established his company in Canada and in 1865 a branch in Mexico, being the market leaders under the name of Casa Boker until today.

Heinrich only crossed the river Wupper to go to Solingen, where the German cutlery industry was booming. Together with the well-known cutlery exert Hermann Heuser he founded Heinr. Boker & Co. in 1869.

The Bokers in Remscheid and their cousins overseas were very interested and in demand of razors, scissors, and pocket knives from Heinrich’s new enterprise. They had to label their products in a simple manner for overseas markets, as many customers had problems spelling the German name Boker—apart from the widespread analphabetism. Heinrich considered the chestnut tree as an ideal, memorable logo which belonged to the Remscheid company with an arrow as well. One of the rare and precious documents which survived the total destruction of WW II is an ad of Boker Remscheid from 1874, showing both logos.

The US market quickly became Boker’s most important sales territory. Because of the tree-brand being well established by then and the good understanding within the international Boker family, there wasn’t any problem to get permission from Solingen to use the tree-brand for American made products as well.

Today, there are four lines of Bokers. Boker Manufaktur Solingen, which is the premium collection. Boker Arbolito, which is the tradition collection. Magnum by Boker, which is the line that gives you the best price with the best performance. The Boker Strike Automatic is a member of the fourth group: The Boker Plus collection which focuses on innovation. This lien is in close cooperation with international acknowledged experts form military, police, and security as they develop and test tactical knives for the professional user. Boker Plus Knives are innovative in terms of function and design, as well as guaranteed for everyday use. Conception, design, and construction are carried out in Solingen, and production takes place in Europe, the USA, and Asia.

Boker Plus Strike Automatic Knife

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of AUS 8 stainless steel. This is a Japanese made steel that is very similar to 440B steel. This steel is also slightly more resistant to rust and corrosion than 440C but it is going to be less hard. This steel is very tough, although it might not hold its edge as well as some of the more premium steels that do carry a greater degree of carbon. This is because more carbon means more hardness and edge holding. AUS 8 stainless steel is very easy to sharpen as well as it being able to take a razor sharp edge.

The blade on this knife has been stonewash finished. A stonewashed finish refers to tumbling the blade in an abrasive material, which is generally small pebbles. After the blade has been tumbled with the pebbles, it is removed, and smoothed out. The resulting look is rugged and well-worn which also means that the finish will easily hide scratches, while also providing a less reflective nature than a brushed or satin finished blade. One of the biggest advantages to a stonewashed blade is that it is extremely low maintenance. The stonewashed finish also helps the blade preserve its original look overtime because the finish easily hides the scratches and smudges that occur overtime and with use.

The blade on the Striker has been carved into a spear point blade style. This style of blade is very similar to the needle point blade, because they have both been designed to be good for piercing. However, the spear point is a little bit more of a hybrid blade, made for more things than just piercing, so the point on this style of knife is stronger and the blade shape does sport a small belly that can be used for some slicing applications. The shape of the spear point is made up of a symmetrically pointed blade with a point that is in line with the center of the blade’s long axis. Both of the knife’s edges rise and fall equally to create a point that lines up exactly with the equator of the blade. One of the best characteristics of the spear point knife is that it is sharp enough for piercing while still having a strong point; this is almost a combination of the best characteristics of a clip point and a drop point. The spear point knife also does feature a lowered tip that makes slicing more easily controlled while also being useful for fine tip work. Like previously mentioned, spear point blades do contain a small belly, but when being compared to a drop or clip point knife, the belly is extremely small. The best parts about a spear point knife is that it is a very well balanced knife. It has a good balance between piercing and slicing, it also has the balance of the sharp point and tip strength, plus, it sports a small belly that will assist you in slicing. This hybrid blade design is extremely functional.

The Handle:

The handle on this knife is made out of black textured aluminum. There are a few characteristics about having an aluminum knife handle that really stand out. For starters, aluminum is a very low-density metal, so while it is going to be super tough, it is also going to be lightweight and not weigh your knife down. Plus, this handle is crazy durable especially when used for knife handles. Unfortunately, aluminum can be pretty slippery, so you have to make sure that your knife is properly texturized to have a secure grip on it. To guarantee that you have a solid grip on this knife, Boker has added a deep finger groove that will give your fingers a place to rest while also protecting your fingers because the groove creates a slight finger guard as well. Opposite the finger groove, there is a slight inward curve that has a row of jimping to give you added control when cutting with this knife. Across the face of the handle, Boker has carved in a series of diagonal grooves. In between the diagonal grooves the face of the handle has been intensely textured to provide you with the best grip around. You won’t have to worry about the environment that you use this knife in—because you are going to be able to use it in almost any environment.

One of the other disadvantages to an aluminum handle is that it does have high conductive properties, which means that if you are using this knife in the winter, it is going to bite into your hand. The last disadvantage is that aluminum is prone to scratches and dings.

The ergonomics of this handle give you a comfortable grip, which is perfect for using for long periods of time. The butt of the handle is slightly triangular and does have a lanyard hole carved into it. This lanyard hole is perfect for keeping your knife near you without it getting in the way. This is ideal for tactical and outdoor adventures, which is exactly what this knife is designed for.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this Boker knife is deep carry, which means that not only is your knife going to stay more secure, but you can also discreetly carry. The clip is long and simple, and has been stonewashed to match the handle. The clip is kept in place by two silver screws that match the rest of the hardware on this knife. The handle has been drilled so that you can carry this knife tip up or down, but it is only on the traditional side of the handle.

The Mechanism:

This knife is what is known as an auto conversion which means that it has been converted form a manual button lock to an aftermarket automatic knife. Because of this, you need to keep two things in mind. First, your box will be opened, because it has been converted. Second, because it is now an automatic knife, it falls under the automatic knife laws, which are very strict. Automatic knives are not legal in all states, cities, or areas and it is your responsibility to know your local knife laws. BladeOps is not responsible for any consequences.

This is an automatic knife, which is often known as a switchblade. This is a style of knife with a folding blade that is contained in the handle and is automatically opened when a button is pressed on the handle where it locks into the opened position. Many of the current laws stem form 1954, when Democratic Rep. James J Delaney of New York authored the first bill submitted to the U.S. Congress banning the manufacture and sale of switchblades, beginning a wave of legal restrictions worldwide and a consequent decline in their popularity. In 1955, U.S. newspapers promoted the image of a young delinquent with a stiletto switchblade with lurid stories of urban youth gang warfare, often featuring lower class youth and racial minorities, which put fear in the hearts of many people. These people, in turn, voted for the restrictions to be brought into place.
Although it is not as extreme as it was once suggested, this knife is an auto conversion knife because it is still illegal to import switchblades. This is through the Switchblade Knife Act that was passed in 1958, however, in 2009 an amendment was put in place that provides the Act shall not apply to spring assist or assisted opening knives which are knives whit closure biased springs that require physical force applied to the blade to assist in opening the knife. The knives are imported and upon arrival a spring is put into the handle which turns it into a switchblade. If your spring wears down, you can also purchase new springs at BladeOps.

Switchblades do date from the mid-18th century when the earliest known examples of spring loaded blades were constructed by craftsmen in Europe, who developed an automatic folding spike bayonet for use on flintlock pistols and coach guns.

The Specs:

The blade on this knife measures in at 3.25 inches long with a handle that is 4.25 inches long. The overall length of this open knife is 7.5 inches long. This knife weighs in at 4.7 ounces, which is hefty enough that you are going to feel like the knife can take a beating, but light enough that you can have it with you at all times.

Conclusion:

This Boker Plus Strike auto knife delivers fast opening action for all your outdoor adventures. Delivering heavy duty, reliable auto action for decades, this Boker features an AUS 8 stainless steel blade and textured polymer handle with finger (index/thumb) grooves for superb EDC satisfaction. This model features a spear point stonewash blade with plain edge. The handle cradles your hand and fingers, while the deep carry pocket clip allows for discreet carry. The knife is an auto conversion which means it has been converted from a manual button lock to an aftermarket automatic knife. Come pick up this phenomenal tactical knife today at BladeOps.